City of York Council is urging people to take more care with e-cigarettes due to a reported increase in nicotine poisoning.

Results published in Public Health England’s (PHE) annual report on the National Poisons Information Service shows there has been an increase in calls on nicotine poisoning associated with personal vapourisers (e-cigarettes).

In 2013/14 the information service received 204 requests for advice which is more than all the calls it received on the subject between 2007 and 2013 combined. The report only includes details of enquiries to the service and not the total number of patients who attended hospital due to nicotine poisoning.

City of York Council’s Acting Director of Public Health, Julie Hotchkiss said: “Nicotine poisoning can be very unpleasant. It can cause vomiting, hyperventilating and changes in heart rate. E-cigarettes can contain enough nicotine to be lethal to a small child. We know to keep other harmful products out of the reach of children and e-cigarettes should be no different.”

Stopping smoking is the best thing you can do to improve your health and wellbeing. With support from a Specialist Stop Smoking Advisor you are four times more likely to quit than going it alone.

For more information about York and North Yorkshire’s Stop Smoking Service telephone 0300 303 1603 or visit http://www.york.gov.uk/ and search for smoking.